53
Hexagram 53, Jian: “Development,” gradual progress. The image is a wild goose flying in stages.
The image of the hexagram
Below is the Gen trigram (mountain), above is Xun (wind). Wind over a mountain: a tree on the slope grows slowly and imperceptibly — gradualness.
General meaning
The answer is favorable at a slow pace. Jian describes a process that only goes right step by step: marriage, learning, putting down roots in a new place. The classic text leads the goose, stage by stage, from the shore to the cliff — each stage is its own, and none can be skipped. Haste here does not speed things up; it sets you back.
In love and at work
In relationships: gradual movement toward something serious, an engagement, the families getting closer; it cannot be rushed. At work: a smooth transition, mastering a new field, a long rollout. For a quick deal, no.
What to do
Identify the next step and take only that one. Speed works against you here.